Young Leaders Buckle Up

Posted on August 8th, 2016 by admin

Young Leaders ‘should be proud’

What springs to mind when you think of Young leaders, tea makers or just an extra pair of hands for meetings? Last month saw six new Young Leaders complete their training, however it begged the question: what exactly are Young Leaders? Speaking as a Young Leader, I do count myself as ‘young’ and yet I also call myself a ‘leader’. Young Leaders make a positive impact on our community and develop as individuals.

Youth Shaped Scouting works hand-in-hand with Young Leaders. Y.L.’s bridge a gap that can sometimes appear between leaders and youth members. Youth Shaped Scouting allows young people’s voices to be heard; Young leaders act as an amplifier to that message. Although not warranted leaders, Young Leaders go through a diverse training program which teaches them how to plan and run a meeting, safeguarding procedures and how to have fun!

Young Leaders are an incorporated part of the Scout group. Speaking from experience, I was involved in planning meetings from the get go; nothing was off the list, whether it be food shopping or drafting a letter to parents. It’s this inclusivity that has made me who I am today and other Young Leaders alike. The Isle of Man has a growing number of Young Leaders as you don’t have to be a member of the Scouting movement already to be a Y.L. Your probably thinking ‘what’? As long as your aged between 14-18, Explorer Scout or not, you can become a Young Leader. By doing this, the Young Leaders scheme works closely with awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh programme.

Young Leader Co-ordinator, Laura Skears said that ‘our Y.L.’s we have at the moment are fantastic.’ She added, ‘The six that have earned their belts have worked extremely hard and should be proud.’

So…what do you get out of being a Young Leader? Aside from the belt as well as the certificate at the end of it (and the leaders nagging you to fill in your log book), you get something more. Young Leaders get a sense of responsibility, pride and whole lot of fun.